Privacy policy

1. Who we are

LoudPanda is operated by [Operator name] ("we", "us"), the responsible party for your personal information under POPIA.

Our Information Officer is [Information Officer name], reachable at [privacy@yourdomain.co.za].

2. What we collect

Account details: when you sign in with Google, we receive your name, email address and profile photo.

Your stories: the reviews you post, including the business, rating, headline and story. Your public name is shown in shortened form, for example "Nandi K.".

Proof of purchase: receipts or invoices you upload, and the details we read from them, such as the store name, date and total.

Technical data: a session cookie that keeps you signed in, and small settings saved in your browser, such as your colour-mode choice and any unsent draft.

3. Why we collect it

To create and secure your account, publish your stories, track how businesses respond, check receipts for the Proof-Verified Shield, and prevent abuse such as one receipt being used for several reviews.

We do not sell your personal information.

4. Our lawful basis

We process your information with your consent, to provide the service you asked for, and where we have a legitimate interest in keeping LoudPanda fair and safe. You may withdraw consent at any time, although this may limit what you can do on LoudPanda.

5. Who we share it with

Businesses you review can see your story and shortened name, but not your email address or your receipt.

We use trusted service providers to run LoudPanda, including Google (sign-in) and Neon (database hosting). They may only use your information on our instructions.

We may disclose information where the law requires it.

6. Information stored outside South Africa

Some providers store information outside South Africa, including our database in the European Union (Germany). We only use providers bound by laws or agreements that give protection similar to POPIA.

7. How we protect it

Receipts are kept in private storage and never published. Data is encrypted in transit, and access is limited to people who need it. If a breach affects your information, we will notify you and the Information Regulator as POPIA requires.

8. How long we keep it

We keep your account and stories while your account is active, and receipts only as long as needed to support your review. When you ask us to delete your account, we remove your personal information unless the law requires us to keep it.

9. Your rights

Under POPIA you may ask to see the personal information we hold about you, ask us to correct or delete it, and object to how we use it. Contact our Information Officer at [privacy@yourdomain.co.za].

If you are unhappy with our response, you may complain to the Information Regulator of South Africa at inforegulator.org.za.

10. Children

LoudPanda is intended for people aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect information from children.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy. When we make important changes, we will let you know on the site and update the date at the top.